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Morocco World
4 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
King Mohammed VI to Perform Eid Al-Adha Prayer in Tetouan
Rabat – King Mohammed VI will lead the blessed Eid Al-Adha prayer on Saturday, 10th Dhu al-Hijjah 1446, equivalent to Saturday, June 7 this year, at the Hassan II Mosque Tetouan. The ceremony will be broadcast live on national radio and television starting at 11 a.m., according to a statement from the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol, and Chancellery. 'The Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol, and Chancellery announces that King Mohammed VI, Amir Al Mouminine, may God assist Him, will perform the Eid Al-Adha prayer tomorrow, Saturday, the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 H, corresponding to June 7, 2025, at the Hassan II Mosque in the city of Tetouan,' the statement read. Eid Al-Adha , one of the most significant holidays in the Islamic calendar, honors Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. The occasion is observed with communal prayers, shared meals, and acts of charity. In Morocco, the celebration is marked by cultural traditions, with people wearing traditional attire like the 'jellaba' and 'balgha', while children are often gifted new clothes. On the morning of Eid, families gather at mosques or open prayer grounds known as 'musallas' to perform the Eid prayers together. Unfortunately for this year, the King announced the cancellation of the Eid Al-Adha sacrifice due to a combination of challenging circumstances. Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq announced the news in a televised message and stressed that the announcement is in line with King Mohammed VI's directives. 'Our concern to enable you to observe this religious ritual in the best circumstances is accompanied by our duty to consider the climate and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant disease in livestock numbers,' the monarch said in his directives. The country is facing a severe water shortage, compounded by the difficult conditions of livestock and a fragile agricultural season. These factors have made it infeasible to maintain the traditional practice of animal sacrifice, which prompted a hard decision aimed at preserving national resources and supporting long-term sustainability. Morocco has previously suspended Eid Al-Adha celebrations on three occasions during the reign of the late King Hassan II. The first was in 1963, when the sacrifice ritual was called off amid the Sand War with Algeria. The second instance occurred in 1981 due to a severe drought, and the third came in 1996, following consecutive years of scarce rainfall that culminated in a particularly dry 1995. Tags: aid Al adhaAid Al Adha prayerKing Mohammed VIMoroccoMorocco king
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Why Morocco will abstain from sacrificing sheep this Eid al-Adha
King Mohammed VI has urged Moroccans not to slaughter sheep for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festivities. The reason – the soaring prices of livestock and the scarcity of sheep read more Sheep are offered for sale for the upcoming Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha in a market on the outskirts of Rabat, Morocco. File image/AP In Morocco, Eid al-Adha will be like no other. The celebrations will go on but without the ritual of animal sacrifice. It's a directive from King Mohammed VI. Through a letter the king, who is Morocco's supreme religious, announced in February that families should 'abstain' from slaughtering sheep this year and that the monarch would perform the Eid sacrifice on behalf of the people. Why will Moroccans not sacrifice sheep this Eid? Morocco is breaking away from the centuries-old practice because of soaring livestock prices and a scarcity of sheep. According to the king's letter, performing animal sacrifice on Eid would cause 'real harm to many of our people, particularly those with limited income'. 'Our commitment to enabling you to fulfil this religious right under the best conditions is accompanied by the duty to consider the climatic and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant decline in livestock numbers,' King Mohammed VI said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Such a big announcement has not been made in the country for decades. The late King Hassan cancelled the Eid sacrifice three times during his rule for similar reasons or in the aftermath of the 1963 Sand War with neighbouring Algeria, reports Middle East Eye. How dire is the situation in Morocco? Morocco is seeing a dip in the herds of sheep because of a six-year drought, which has caused livestock numbers to plummet. The calamity has only intensified inflation. The cost of a sheep in Morocco frequently surpasses the average monthly household income; the minimum wage is approximately 3,000 Moroccan dirhams (Rs 28,000). A recent survey conducted by the NGO Moroccan Center for Citizenship indicated that 55 per cent of respondent families encountered financial difficulties in acquiring sheep and utensils needed to cook such a meal. The rise in prices is driven by the increasingly sparse pastures; there is less room for grazing, and this increases the cost of feed for herders and farmers. Morocco's livestock numbers have shrunk by more than a third compared to the figure counted in the last census in 2016, according to the agriculture ministry. For livestock sellers, the economic toll has also proved heavy. At the Khemisset market, 24-year-old Marouane Haizoun was waiting to sell two cows. He said he had left his sheep on the family farm as it would have been difficult to sell any this year. 'Prices would have been exorbitant,' he told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some families 'would have to take out loans' to buy sheep, admitted Mona Hajjami, 28, who was buying vegetables at the market. Sheep come running when Labri El Ghazouani pours alfalfa and straw into their troughs twice a day. File image/AP Yet not everyone is pleased to give up the practice. Fatima Kharraz said that she can't seem to find the usual sense of celebration, as Eid approaches. 'We don't feel the usual excitement… It's as if the holiday doesn't exist.' While others come out in support of the king's call, they agree that the festivities are dull. 'I support the decision,' said Hajjami. Still, she added, 'It's normal to feel a void without an atmosphere of grilled meat.' However, experts believe the cancellation of sacrifice will help the country. 'We know today that the purchasing power of many citizens has severely declined. Therefore, cancelling Eid al-Adha could spare these individuals from spending financial resources,' Mohammed Jadri, a Moroccan economist and director of the Observatory of Government Action, a private monitoring organisation was quoted as saying by Middle East Eye. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to him, it would 'ease the burden on those who suffered last year, where livestock reached record levels exceeding $500 to $600 per head.' Why are sheep and goats sacrificed on Eid al-Adha? Eid al-Adha, which will be celebrated on June 7 is an annual 'feast of sacrifice', during which the faithful slaughter livestock to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's devotion. According to the Quran, Ibrahim or Abraham, prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, who intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. This is a major holiday for millions of Muslims worldwide, from Morocco to Indonesia, with traditions so embedded that families often borrow money or take out loans in order to buy sheep. With inputs from agencies
Morocco World
12-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Casablanca Services Company Update: Slaughterhouses Will Not Close During Eid Al Adha
Rabat — Casablanca Services Company has officially denied rumors of having a special organizational program for managing slaughterhouse operations during the upcoming Eid Al Adha. The company said in a statement that it will be working normally during the Eid Al Adha period with no changes in the schedule to 'ensure normal market supply' and avoid any market shortage. The statement comes in response to rumors that circulated on Sunday, saying the company's slaughterhouse services will have special logistical measures to be followed at municipal slaughterhouses. The previous fake statement informed that the slaughterhouse services in Casablanca will have June 4 as the last day of livestock reception, while June 5 will be the last day of slaughtering operations and offal delivery. It further noted that on the actual date of Eid Al Adha, which will be June 6 or 7, depending on the moon sighting, all activities in the slaughterhouse will be suspended, with work to gradually resume on June 15 to have meat distribution starting on June 17. The fake news was circulated at a faster rate because of the higher media buzz around Morocco's decision to cancel the sacrifice. Read also: Morocco Cancels Eid Al Adha Due to Drought King Mohammed VI announced in February that the sacrifice ritual would be suspended to mitigate the six-year drought crisis that Morocco has been grappling with. The decision stems from a will to meet the local needs of Moroccan people, especially those who don't have the economic means to celebrate this holy occasion. Moroccans received the decision on the Eid Al Adha sacrifice with appreciation, as most citizens were struggling with high prices and other socioeconomic pressures. This decision is not the first of its kind, as the late King Hassan II made similar decisions decades ago. The North African country did not practice the sacrifice ritual in 1963 during the 'Sand War' between Morocco and Algeria, which impacted the two countries' economies, prompting the decision. Similar to this year, the ritual was canceled due to Morocco's drought in 1981, 1995, and again in 1996. Tags: Eid Al AdhaSlaughterhousesSlaughterhouses in Casablanca
Morocco World
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
King Farouk's Grandson Honors King Hassan II in Historic Return to Egypt
Doha – Prince Mohamed Ali Farouk, grandson of Egypt's last king, has returned to live in Cairo, expressing gratitude for the late King Hassan II's crucial intervention that enabled his birth in Egypt during his family's exile. 'Thanks to King Hassan II's support, who intervened with President Sadat, my mother Fadila was authorized to give birth in Cairo,' the 46-year-old prince told AFP in French during a recent interview. This diplomatic gesture in 1979 made him the first male member of the royal family's direct line to return to Egypt since the 1952 revolution. The prince, who now holds an Egyptian passport granted in 2020, is establishing himself in Cairo after years of living abroad, primarily in France. His return marks a symbolic reconciliation between Egypt's royalist and republican eras, he notes. 'For my father, Egypt was a lost homeland. For me, it's a rediscovered one,' says Mohamed Ali, who runs a technical real estate consulting firm in Paris. His father, Fouad II, became king at just seven months old following King Farouk's abdication in 1952, ruling briefly with a regency council until the monarchy's abolition in 1953. The prince's return to Cairo was encouraged by his wife, Princess Noal Zaher of Afghanistan's royal family. 'It was Noal who supported me throughout my reflection. She wanted to live in the Orient and wanted our children to grow up closer to their roots,' he reveals. From dinner table tension to military threats: The Hassan II-Nasser years The prince's gratitude toward King Hassan II stems from a layered history of antagonism between Morocco and Egypt's leadership. Their relationship was marked by confrontations that began at a diplomatic dinner and escalated to military threats, according to French diplomatic archives. The first spark ignited in the late 1950s when Hassan II, then Crown Prince, observed President Nasser struggling with cutlery at a state dinner in Morocco. 'I don't think eating turkey with a fork is harder than overthrowing King Farouk,' the future monarch remarked, referencing Nasser's revolution – a comment that set the tone for years of strained relations. The tension reached its peak during the 1963 Sand War between Morocco and Algeria, when Nasser deployed approximately 2,000 Egyptian troops to support Algeria against Morocco. Among them was future Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, then a military officer, who was captured by Moroccan forces after his aircraft went down within Moroccan territory. An attempted reconciliation in March 1965, during Hassan II's visit to Cairo, dramatically backfired. According to French diplomatic documents, what began as a cordial meeting deteriorated into open hostility when Nasser demanded that Morocco sever ties with West Germany over its support for Israel. Hassan II's refusal prompted an explicit threat from Nasser, who warned that Arab leaders opposing Egypt's stance would 'be condemned to disappear' and reminded the Moroccan king that Egyptian forces were 'at Morocco's doorstep' through their presence in Algeria. The meeting so alarmed Hassan II that he immediately ordered his Minister of Defense to implement military precautionary measures upon his return, and put the Royal Armed Forces on high alert against potential 'terrorist elements' from Algeria, the diplomatic cables reveal. Relations improved only after Anwar Sadat and later Hosni Mubarak assumed Egypt's presidency. However, echoes of past tensions briefly have resurfaced in the early years of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Three incidents particularly stirred concern: Sisi's early diplomatic visit to Algeria, the appearance of Egyptian media delegations in Tindouf camps, and a controversial photograph of Sisi with Polisario leadership at an African Union summit in Equatorial Guinea. Egyptian military officials justified these moves as necessary security coordination with Algeria to combat weapons trafficking and address threats in Libya. Egypt has since affirmed its support for Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara. Today, Prince Mohamed Ali focuses on rehabilitating his family's image while disclaiming any political ambitions. 'I simply want to work on rehabilitating the image of my royal family and contribute to preserving and transmitting its historical, cultural, and artistic heritage,' he asserts, noting that '150 years of history deserve to be honored.' Tags: King Hassan IIMorocco-Egypt
Morocco World
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Bourita Meets Syrian FM in Mecca, Reaffirms Support for Syria's Unity
Doha – Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita met with his Syrian counterpart Assaad Hassan Al-Chibani in Mecca on Thursday. The meeting signaled a potential thaw in diplomatic relations between the two Arab countries. During the meeting, Bourita reiterated Morocco's support for Syria's unity and national sovereignty. 'The Kingdom of Morocco follows closely the important developments in Syria,' Bourita stated, stressing Morocco's backing for the Syrian people's aspirations for stability and development. The talks took place on the sidelines of the seventh joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Morocco, held in Mecca on March 6. The gathering, chaired by Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, addressed strategic partnerships between the GCC and Morocco. This diplomatic engagement follows King Mohammed VI's recent message of congratulations to Syria's transitional president Ahmad Al-Sharaa in early February. The King expressed Morocco's 'steadfast commitment to regional peace, stability, and prosperity' while reaffirming that Morocco's position 'has always been and remains one of support for the Syrian people in achieving their aspirations for freedom, peace, and stability.' Morocco's latest diplomatic outreach marks a departure from its earlier position. Rabat had closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 during the Syrian civil war, citing fundamental disagreements with the Assad regime. Following the recent fall of the Assad government on December 8, discussions have begun regarding the potential reopening of Morocco's embassy in Damascus. The developments also mark a break from a history of strained and tense ties. Under the previous Assad regime, Syria had supported Algeria during the Sand War and maintained backing for the separatist Polisario Front. Recent discoveries revealed Iran's use of Syrian territory to train Polisario Front members during Assad's rule. The GCC meeting in Mecca also addressed the Western Sahara issue, with Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2756 from October 2024 regarding Western Sahara. The GCC emphatically reinforced its unwavering support for Morocco's sovereignty over the territory. Syria's transitional government, led by Al-Sharaa, has indicated plans for a four to five-year transition period to establish necessary electoral infrastructure and implement political reforms. The new administration's stance on regional issues, including the Western Sahara, remains to be defined, though its opposition to the Iranian axis suggests a potential shift from the previous regime's positions. The diplomatic maneuver has garnered sweeping regional endorsement, with multiple Arab countries — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and Yemen — throwing their weight behind Syria's transition process. Read also: Morocco Looks to Revive Relations with Syria As Hope Returns to Damascus Tags: Morocco-Syria relationsNasser Bourita
